Exploring East Portland: Culinary Delights, Hidden Gems, and Local Charm
Welcome fellow travelers and adventure enthusiasts! Join me as I take you with me on a journey into my recent five-day excursion to Portland, Oregon.
The End of VanLife?
We’re coming up on the one year anniversary of the demise of my spectacular home on wheels, Sunnie, and though I talked about it a little on my socials, I feel like I wasn’t able to share what totaling my van really meant to me.
It was the evening of August 24th, just days after I had been laid off of my favorite job that I’ve ever had. We left Chicago in the late afternoon. The sun was going down, and the light was fading. I lay back in the passenger seat of my tiny converted camper van, as Morgan was on diving duty to get us to our next destination, The Wisconsin Dells.
Vanlife in Acadia: Typical work day, exploring Bar Harbor and Chasing the Sun
It’s the freakin’ weekend and were going to Acadia! The weekend started with work - waking up in Freeport, Maine at the L.L. Bean flagship store. Morgan and I worked for quite a few hours in the Coffee By Design shop on the bottom floor with okay wifi, and a quiet ambience. That evening, we trekked about 2 1/2 hours to Acadia National Park, found a nice trail head to spend the night, made some ramen, and watched Black Widow.
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone. Have you heard? Have you been? HAVE YOU SEEN!? GET IT TOGETHER! Okay, just kidding. I didn’t visit this park until I was 30, so what am I even saying.
Luckily, for my first visit to the park, I had a Yellowstone pro with me. Morgan spent the summer of COVID-19 near Yellowstone and therefore is VERY versed in its facts, money spots, and places to stop for lunch.
Sunnie with a chance of SNOW STORMS
After months of preparations, building, planning, glueing, anxious excitement, and dog drama, this trip was the "biggon".
To begin, I want to preface this by saying, this trip made me confident! In myself as a woman traveler, in Sunnie as a fully equipped livable rig, and in my friends for being THE BEST EVER. This journey came with its hardships, but was WAY outshined by its amazing memories.
Death Valley: New Friends in the Van
With a name like Death Valley you know just how important it is to visit at the right time. As a hater of heat, I chose to go in winter so I could enjoy the absolutely beautiful landscape in the comfort of a cozy sweatshirt. My friend Sarah (we’ve been besties for 13 years now!!) isn’t entirely into the full time “vanlife” thing, but she still wanted me to show her the ropes so we planned a little weekend friend-cation for just the two of us.
3 Best Traveling Apps for Free Overnight Camping
With a name like Death Valley you know just how important it is to visit at the right time. As a hater of heat, I chose to go in winter so I could enjoy the absolutely beautiful landscape in the comfort of a cozy sweatshirt. My friend Sarah (we’ve been besties for 13 years now!!) isn’t entirely into the full time “vanlife” thing, but she still wanted me to show her the ropes so we planned a little weekend friend-cation for just the two of us.